Our churches are filled with PMC’s – Potential Missional Christians who are Spiritually Constipated. There is a lot coming in, but not much going out. They are fed a steady diet of Bible teaching but are not trained and equipped to obey the word they are taught. We have not provided pathways that allow them to see mission modeled by leaders so that they can imitate what they observe. We have raised up generations of people who are hearers of the word, but not doers of the word. Spiritually constipated church attenders are consumers of the various programs and events off of a pick and choose menu of the modern church in the United States.
The repeated hearing of the of the word without an accompanying equipping to be a doer of the word produces immature disciples who attend a church service a couple of times a month, and participate in a program or two that tickle their fancy. On rare occasions they will serve within the Sunday Morning Machine once or twice a month. In most churches leaders would consider this a big win.
While only a small percentage of church attenders serve within the machine, even fewer have discovered their ministry calling and/or had their gifts activated. This results in an apathy and boredom with the things of God and the ministry of the church. People have enough faith to continue to attended a couple of services a month, but there is a growing discontent with CAWKI (church as we know it). There is a serious disconnection from the biblical world and the modern world in their lives.
Occasionally, our hearts are stir when a missionary visits and tells stories of the amazing things God is doing, and the people who are coming to faith in Jesus, but when the missionary goes back to the field we are left with the reality of our non missional, church attending reality.
Perhaps in a moment of lament and reflection you might ask, “Why not here?” “Why do all of the good stories happen in Katmandu or Timbuktu, but not here in my neighborhood?” If you are self aware you will discover that deep within you is a longing for more. Identifying that longing is the key to discovering your God-given calling.
The adventure of Activating Potential PMC’s begins with (re)Discovering your Identity in Christ. Jesus said, “As the Father has sent me, even so, I am sending you.” (Jn. 17:18, 20:21) It is hardwired into our spiritual DNA to live as sent witnesses of King Jesus. Mission is not so much what we do as it is what we are. We engage in Jesus’ mission because we are Jesus’ missionaries. Given that we are sent into the world just as Jesus was we would do well to understand what it means to live sent. I encourage you to dig into the Scriptures with an eye to see what the true identity of a follower of the Way really is and then develop a disciple making pathway that helps people to live out their identity and calling exercising their gifts that were given to that end.